The Need For Speed
by Zarius
Summary: Book One of my 'Power Rangers Turbo Revisited' Series: The Rangers are off to the race track to experience the "A.G 5000". Meanwhile, on the moon, Lord Zedd, Rita, and the gang hit the jackpot and decide to spend it (un)wisely by putting a price tag on the heads of their greatest enemies.
1. Chapter 1

**POWER RANGERS TURBO REVISITED:**

 **THE NEED FOR SPEED**

 **WRITTEN BY ZARIUS**

 **Author's Note: This is the first of hopefully several stories in a series that takes a look at how the Power Rangers Turbo season might have went.**

 **CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

It's the day of the'A.G 5000', the annual charity racing expo at Angel Grove. People have gathered in their thousands for the event, and on hand as the 'pit crew' for one of the charity drivers involved are Adam, Rocky, and Tanya.

Three college students with an extraordinary secret.

And, at this very moment, faced a rather peculiar problem.

Nothing that required them to step out of line, morph, and save the world from a lethal monster in their guises as Power Rangers anyway.

No, this was something altogether more settled, more ordinary.

More human.

"I can't believe Tommy forgot to equip his car with those spare parts, with the recession having hit the usual shop hard last summer, the closest to the city is a few miles out of town" Adam said.

"You know our fearless leader" said Rocky, "He can lead us into a fight, but the biggest battle he has is with that absent-mindedness of his"

"Hey, didn't he invite Kat to tag along with him?" asked Tanya.

"Yeah, but she declined, she had to look after the little rascal" Rocky confirmed.

"Oh, you mean Justin?" asked Tanya.

"Yeah, he and the other orphans have got a front row seat to the action, if Tommy wins the 5000, his earnings are all going to help in the renovation of the children's home" Adam revealed.

"That's something he'd best not forget then" said Tanya.

"I just hope that's the only trouble we have today, especially since we had to surrender our morphers today for Zordon and Alpha's secret project, I wonder what they're up to?" Rocky said.

* * *

On the outskirts of town, settled in between large rocky mountain terrain, stood the foreboding command structure of the Power Rangers known as the Power Chamber.

Within the mighty chamber, the Rangers small android friend Alpha 5, was studying five devices which were attached to a series of cable that stretched all the way from the far right of the central console to the far left. At the centre of the console was a silver container which glowed brightly with white hot energy.

"Aye-Aye-Aye, I'm so excited Zordon" Alpha spoke in the presence of the Rangers wise mentor Zordon

"The energies of the Zeo morphers are having the desired effect" Alpha continued, as the container's energies continued to glow even brighter.

"It won't be long before it is fully charged" Alpha acknowledged.

"I am pleased" Zordon revealed.

"Zordon, I have to ask, due to all the excessive resources being spent on this project, the Power Chamber security protocols have been drastically weakened, what if there is an attack?" Alpha asked, wanting to temper his anticipation with caution of the typical events of a day in their long lives.

"While we are low on resources Alpha, so too, presently, are our enemies. Though he has disposed of the Machine Empire's leaders, Lord Zedd is low on weapons he can swiftly mobilize in order to get the best of us. I am aware that these precious moments of peace are limited, which is why we must strive to provide the Rangers with something truly limitless. Have faith this project will be the start of something special"

* * *

High above the Earth, on the lunar surface of the moon, the forces of evil were in disarray.

Attempted repairs on Lord Zedd's command ship Serpenterra were going awry. Badly damaged, dangerous electrical sparks emerging from its sides, small fires erupting within its control room, with Tengas and Putty Patrollers scrambling to put the fires out with extinguishers.

Some of the Tengas stood too close to the flames while attempting to put them out and their wings soon caught fire. They squawked and screeched in panic as they dashed out of the Zord and on to the moon's surface, where they proceeded to roll around, following the standard instructions in how to diminish the raw power of a burning body.

Within the remains of the Lunar Palace, still in a state of disrepair following the initial attack by the Machine Skybase many months earlier, Lord Zedd was in despair, with his wife, Rita Repulsa, attempting to console him.

"Don't beat yourself up so much over that jalopy Serpenterra Zeddy, that thing was never any good anyway, it always ran out of juice before it could really get to sizzle"

"I'd much rather that thing come closer to exploding than me" Zedd retorted

"Repairing the palace isn't going to be easy, especially since we're broke and can't afford a renovation" Rita replied.

"Do you have any suggestions? Or are you happy for once that I have to endure a splitting headache rather than you?" Zedd bitterly replied.

"Hey, you might want to adjust your attitude a bit here, maybe learn to appreciate that permanent cheese grater grin you have on your face" Rita snapped back.

Elsewhere, Finster was also feeling low as he examined what was left of his faithful monster matic, long since destroyed during the Machine invasion.

"My, my, what a state it's in" he says, "I could easily repair it with the right sort of funds, but how? Oh dear"

Meanwhile, Rita's brother Rito Revolto was watching a barely functional television with Squat and Baboo, paying close attention to the Lunar Lottery, a ticket in hand.

"Stop wasting time you troubling trio" snapped Zedd's winged monkey general, the grovelling Goldar, as he berated the group, "That lottery only ever guarantees a winner two percent of the time"

"Well I run on only one percent brainpower, so I fancy my chances" said Rito, leaving Goldar to bury his face in the palm of his right hand as he despaired at Revolto's stupidity.

The presenter of the Lunar Lottery, a vampire with living multi-fanged fingers, in a slick and chilled Transylvanian accent, read out the numbers.

Rito was forced to raise the volume on the television due to Zedd and Rita's continued bickering in the throne room nearby.

"Why do you always have to make me the subject of everything you're upset about?" Rita replied.

"Because you persist on making everything you suggest the only thing worth talking about" Zedd snapped back.

"At least I'm trying to push some passion into our future projects" Rita said.

"Are you saying I lack passion?" Zedd said, his whole body irradiating a crimson glow, signifying his just anger.

"Oh please, I'm not impressed, anyone can show a little colour around me these days, just ask everyone trying to court me over in Dad's galaxy"

"I am the Emperor of all I see, yet why is that all I ever seem see is YOU?"

"Because, Zeddy, I'm the person you took as your rightful prize. You won. I won. We both won"

"I win too" said Rito.

"Knock it off Rito, this is kiss and make-up time at the grown up's table" Rita said, preparing to wrap her arms around Zedd.

"No, I mean it, I've WON" said Rito, "The lunar lottery, I've got the winning ticket"

Zedd shoved Rita to one side and approached Rito, grabbing the ticket and looking on at the numbers on the screen.

"I can't believe your dumb luck" said Goldar.

"A gazillion zenematars, guaranteed. The finest source of currency in the cosmos, with these riches, repairing the palace will be a cakewalk" Zedd replied in gleeful triumph.

"I feel so sorry for all the wasted sponge" mumbled Rito.

Finster beamed at the news, "Now I can make preparations on a redesign of the monster matic, it will be good as new in no time now that we can afford the opportunity"

"And with the Rangers presently without power so Alpha and Zordon can complete their new project, the one thing we cannot afford is wait long for another chance at conquering the Earth, we must use the money in other ways" Zedd replied.

"Oh, we're going to have a budget now" Rita spoke, "Just think, my man thinking of money matters, we're building ourselves a nasty little nest egg and I couldn't be more proud"

"Goldar, make preparations to travel to Planet Onyx at once" instructed Zedd.

"Yes my Emperor, but whatever for?" Goldar asked.

"I wish to make a favourable donation to those that make the highest bidder, a just reward for the first creature that can unjustly rid the universe of the Power Rangers!"

Goldar made the journey from one side of the galaxy to the other, and arrived at the Planet Onyx, a place where the cruellest of creatures, the flotsam and jetsam of the evil space alien underworld, gathered to do what they do best, to bicker, and bid, and bicker again.

To gamble with their fortunes, which would lead to more dispute, and in those damaging disputes they would risk their very lives to prove their might or their point.

Two such aliens were Rygog and Elgar, who were doing their best to 'civilly' discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their respective entourages. On one side were towering monster turtles known as Putrapods, who served Elgar, and the armoured bronze Pirantatrons, which served Rygog.

"My Piranatrons can fell a creature from 40 paces, they're sure and sharp with a bow and arrow" decreed Rygog.

"My Putrapods have unmatched strength" Elgar responded.

"The only thing they're unmatched in is odour" Rygog replied.

"Excuse me" came a voice from behind them as Goldar entered the bar.

"Beat it Gorilla, I've got plenty to excuse" said Elgar.

"I bring a message from the farther side of the galaxy, it is urgent that I share it with everyone" Goldar continued.

"Interrupt us again, and my Piranatrons will have your sides for afters" snapped Rygog.

"Now, where were we?" said Elgar, cracking his knuckles.

"I believe 'where are we' is the question you and your putripatsies will be asking when you come to" Elgar replied.

Goldar, now greatly irritated, decided to bring the quarrelling aliens to order, he took out his sword and cut sharply through the centre of the table with it.

Elgar, Rygog, and their forces all froze up as the table caught fire and then just as swiftly evaporated.

"Do we have any further difficulty in communicating?" Goldar asked sarcastically.

"Nope" Elgar quickly and nervously replied.

"I'm good" said Rygog.

"Good, for Lord Zedd commands your attention" said Goldar, reaching into the right side of his armour and removing a small crystalline medallion, he pressed down on its centre and a holographic image of the dark dimension overlord lit up the Onyx tavern.

"This is Lord Zedd, the recipient of the recent winnings in the lunar lottery; I offer a thirty five percent portion of my recently acquired fortune to any monster that successfully destroys my hated rivals, the Power Rangers. This is an open bounty; all are welcome to try their luck, just as you do not ultimately try my patience with failure. May the best monster and man hunter win"

A loud ovation emitted from the tavern's occupants. Boasts and brags could be heard everywhere by those willing to step up to the plate.

"Power Rangers eh?" noted Rygog, "I reckon this will be a good field exercise for my Piranatrons"

"More a moment reserved for my titan turtles" said Elgar.

As the two argued all the way out of the bar over whose forces were better, Goldar permitted himself a small satisfactory smile.

"Now, Rangers, try to hold onto your heads now that a bounty has been placed upon them" he said sneeringly before making his journey back to Earth's side of the galaxy and to his home on the lunar palace.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

* * *

Over in France, the city of Paris was proving most accommodating to its latest dose of lifeblood.

Eugene Skullovitch and Francis Bulkmyer, known to their stateside friends as Bulk and Skull, two detectives who had carved a nice niche for themselves in Angel Grove and were given a better offer to move their occupation to Paris, took the time to admire their brand new mint condition Paris office, most notably the artwork positioned in the centre.

It was a charming illustration of a child next to the Eiffel tower, playing small violin, in front of him were a youthful couple clutching one another's hands depositing a couple of coins in the open violin case beside him.

"That picture sure says it all doesn't it?" said Bulk, placing his hand on Skull's shoulder.

"I didn't know paintings could talk back to you in real life, just the one from that follow-up to Ghostbusters" Skull replied.

Bulk slapped Skull hard on the back.

"Paintings can communicate with you in different ways; it doesn't need a speech bubble in that fancy French language to let you know this place is the city where life and opportunity bloom"

"Good, because I still don't know any French" Skull said.

"You didn't watch all those Muzzy tapes I gave you?" asked Bulk, slightly annoyed.

Skull shook his head.

Bulk clipped him on the ears and sighed.

"You need to focus a bit more" he said "The point is, life and opportunity go hand in hand here, the chief inspector promised us that our assignment here would involve people in great standing within society. Power, influence, [U]wealth[/U]" Bulk told him, emphasising the last part.

Skull's eyes lit up.

The office door bell rang, Bulk hastily raced over to open it while Skull continued to examine the painting.

"Cute chick" Skull observed, poking the features of the girl in the painting with the tip of his finger, but when he pulled back, he suddenly froze as he noticed he had smudged the painting ever so slightly.

He looked over at Bulk, who was trying to pick apart the multitude of locks on the door so he could welcome in his guests.

Quickly, Skull took the painting down and tried hastily to cover the smudge by placing one finger in his mouth and moistening it slightly with his own saliva, hoping that by spreading a bit of the paint to the side that was smeared he could conceal the damage.

However, to his alarm, he found by doing that, he had smudged it even more so.

Bulk finally opened the door and invited in his guests, Chief Inspector Gustone.

"I trust you have made yourself right at home" he said.

"We're right at home and ready to serve sir" said Bulk.

"Then we shall waste little time, we will commence with your assignment. Your client is outside, I shall fetch her"

Bulk beamed and ran out of the office.

Her.

He had hit the mother load. He was certain of it.

As he dashed out of the door to greet his client, Gustone walked over to Skull, who hastily placed the painting behind his back.

"Ah, examining the fine work of our city" Gustone replied, "You know that illustration was made when I was but a small lad trying to make ends meet on the streets. Truth be told, I wasn't the most gifted musician, but I knew my city would reward me for injecting it with more of what it provided, energy, love, something to add to that spirit. The couple in that picture actually gave me my first earnings; I shall never forget the kindness in their faces"

Skull began to sweat ever so slightly, "Yeah, so long as you remember the face, nothing can truly erase it right?"

"Oh I have a fleeting memory these days, this job ages you terribly, makes you prioritize other people and places in Paris, only the painting reminds me of those simpler times, awakening so many memories long dormant and complicated by all the wrong-doing and incompetence I deal with day to day. I despair at the notion the visual reminder could fade from view"

Gustone walked away to interact further with Bulk outside of the office, Skull sighed, walked behind the desk, took a pen out from the drawer, and hastily went to work on trying to fix the damage he had caused as only he knew.

Outside the office, Bulk's enthusiasm had diminished at the sight of his client, a frail elderly woman in a mink white coat, holding up a photograph of a pink poodle.

"Could you please help me find my precious Sanford?" she asked, "He went missing some weeks ago"

"Surely, ma'am, this is a job for the city pound" said Bulk.

Gustone walked over to him, "While the poodle is a concern for Ms. Tasman, it is within the national interest it is located, for attached to its collar is an exquisite emerald, and there is a high price attached to its recovery"

Bulk reminded himself of what he had told Skull of the kind of opportunities life in Paris would provide.

While beauty was what he desired, the temptation of wealth and high standing was just as powerful.

It called to him.

And he and Skull would answer.

* * *

On a coach heading down the desert mountain junction leading into Angel Grove, a Theodore Jay Jarvis Johnson, otherwise known as T.J to his friends, had been assigned a task by some of the passengers.

The task in question was to get a young woman seated to the right of him to stop singing along to the music coming from her walkman.

T.J didn't mind the noise personally, if one could call it noise, as the girl's singing voice was quite harmonious and soothing to his ears, but these passengers, mostly older folk, were too wound up in their own everyday stresses and problems to consider being kind to any sort of disruption. They liked long, quiet rides back and forth through town.

T.J had always been taught how to respect his elders, and so walked over to the girl to speak on their behalf.

He hoped she wouldn't be too cross at him for making the trouble.

"Excuse me? Miss?" he asked.

The girl persisted with her singing, her eyes were firmly shut, and she had surrendered to the music.

With the eyes of the onlookers of the coach piercing into the back of him, T.J knew he had to be a bit more assertive; he had to be seen and heard.

He was unsure what his next action could potentially lead to, but he knew he had to risk it for the sake of the inner peace of the coach. He took the earphones attached to the walkman off of the lady.

With her music cut off from her, her eyes snapped open and she turned around to face him.

"What was that for?" she said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, but your singing was a bit too loud" T.J replied, handing the earphones back to her.

The girl sighed, "I'm sorry" she said, "I can get pretty carried away when I'm immersed in the moment, I just let that stuff carry me into a different world and I don't pay the real one any attention"

"Hey, no need to apologize; if it's any consolation, I really enjoyed your singing. You've got talent, why don't you try and put that voice to good use?"

"That's why I'm here; I've got an appointment with a big time record producer over in Angel Grove today.

I'm coming in all the way from Stone Canyon to see him. This could well be my big break" she explained.

"Great, so you were just keeping up the practise for when you have to let out a belter at the audition, that's great" said T.J.

He turned around to acknowledge the back of the coach.

"Hey, show of hands, how many of you actually enjoyed how she sounded?" T. J surveyed.

A couple of hands went up, while the others remained indifferent or outright dismissive and kept their opinions to themselves.

"See? Some people liked it" T.J said, giving her approving thumbs up.

"I appreciate that, I probably should conserve my energies anyway, so I'm actually capable of a clear voice when I audition" the lady noted

"Good idea, I'm sure with that sort of plan and confidence, the next time you're on one of these rides, you won't have to worry so much about how others want you to behave, you'll probably be riding in your own private coach going from town to town"

The girl admired T.J's boundless sense of optimism.

"You sure know how to make someone causing a racket feel like they deserve to tear the whole house down Mister" she said.

"Call me T.J" he said

"Cassie" the lady said, revealing her name and extending her hand to shake his.

"Just a couple of miles before we stop at the tourist shop folks" revealed the coach driver.

"Great, a rest stop, that ought to give us time to talk some more" T.J said.

"I'd like that" said Cassie, "It's not like anything exciting ever happens on this stretch of road anyway"

"Don't be too sure about that, we all know what kind of chaos happens in this city. Who knows? Maybe we'll get to see who protects it in action"

"I doubt our lives are ever going to get that interesting" remarked Cassie.

* * *

Back at the Lunar Palace, Zedd sat anxiously at the table, awaiting the arrival of his wife.

To celebrate their New found wealth, they had arranged a luxury dinner date just between the two of them, Goldar and Rito, both wearing tuxedos, were on hand tending to Zedd's requirements, which included Rito having to straighten out a tie on Zedd's person.

"Don't budge Edd, I've almost got this" Rito said as he tightened the tie, Zedd could feel it gaining a greater grip on his neck and began to gag.

"You look a little red there Edd, is this little evening out making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?" said Rito.

Goldar realized what was going on and shoved Rito out of the way, loosening the tie, enabling Zedd to breath better.

"You clumsy fool, you could have suffocated him" snapped Goldar.

Rito scratched his head, "Really? I thought it was marriage that did that to him"

It was at this moment that Rita barged in, carrying two shopping bags, having spent some quality time at the shopping mall at the edge of her homestead, the M-51 galaxy.

"You will not believe how much the prices have risen in the years I've been away, not that money is any obstacle where we come from now" she said.

"Ah my pet, sit down, let us not discuss the mundane deeds of the day, not when we have all our tomorrows to come" Zedd replied, beckoning Goldar over.

Rita made herself comfortable at the opposite end of the table; Rito served her a plate of hot and tangy slug devils as a starter meal.

Rita noticed Goldar placing a bunch of scented candles on the table. As he lit each other, they glowed brightly, emitting the familiar colours of Red, Yellow, Black, Blue and Pink.

"Do you appreciate my gift for this fine occasion Rita?" Zedd asked, "When we destroyed the Rangers power coins all those months ago, I took the time to store the lingering final vestiges of their energies within the candles you used to strip their accursed leader of his original powers. It was a trick I too attempted with the rest of them in the days before we were married, I failed then, but, as with plenty of our monsters of old, I'm always one to recycle an old method to further our madness"

"I'd much rather feast on the Rangers current abilities, not settle for more of the same" Rita replied.

"Are you implying my gifts to you are wearing a bit thin my sweet?" asked Zedd.

"Not at all Zeddy, it's just you can more than afford to spring a little surprise on me once in a while" Rita added.

Suddenly, a loud and thunderous commotion could be heard from outside, Zedd and Rita scrambled out of their seats and headed to the balcony of the palace, looking down as they pinpointed the source of the noise.

Outside, there was a sizeable hoard of creatures, each trying to argue their case over the other as to why they should be the ones to take on the Power Rangers.

"Would this kind of surprise suffice my sweet?" asked Zedd.

Rita smiled.

As the noise intensified, Zedd was forced to bring the maddening crowd to order with a string of energy blasts from his staff, leaving small craters in the only portions of the moon that didn't have any.

"Lord Zedd" came the voice of Rygog, commander of the Piranatron forces, "The might of my armada is more than a match for the Power Rangers. To claim your bounty, tell us where they are, and we will crush them in one fell swoop"

Elgar was not one to let his rival have the floor for long.

"I don't want to 'that guy', but I have to be so you don't go ahead with 'that plan', I say so long as the Rangers have someone leading the charge, they'll charge right back at us. We should cut off the head of the snake before it uses its tail to whip all of ours. I say go after the leader of the Power Rangers"

"He speaks my kind of language Zeddy" said Rita, "Tommy is always the key to every victory, he should be the catalyst for their destruction"

"At least this will give us something to discuss over dinner" replied Zedd.

After several minutes of fine creepy crawler cosine and debate between the two of them, which Zedd and Rita eventually returned to the balcony to address the impatient bounty hunters.

"Your plans are daring, and it is only fitting that fate has provided us with a unique opportunity to try out both stratagems" Zedd replied, "We will see which yields the best results. Attack the A.G 5000 rally; capture Tommy, whichever route we go, just make sure the Rangers lose"


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

* * *

With their coach having made a quick stop at a tourist shop, T.J and Cassie were keen to continue their bonding while looking over the souvenirs' on sale.

"The future's so bright, you need to have a pair of these" said Cassie, sporting a pair of black shades.

T.J smiled. He had known Cassie for all of fifteen minutes, and yet she had a worldliness about her that made it feel like a few minutes were well worth a lifetime.

T.J, on the lookout for something to send to his folks back home, looked at a range of postcards on display. One such card on display made him smile, a depiction of two men wearing protective goggles and safety helmets clutching a brochure high above their heads, flanked by a group of tourists, while an illustration of a ten feet tall lizard like behemoth towered over them.

The card read 'Take the Monster Attack Tour and send greetings from Angel Grove'

"Hey, check this out" T.J yelled over to Cassie, "This is the sort of action I'm looking for in the city"

"Yeah, that reminds me, you never said why you wanted to come to Angel Grove yourself, and it can't just be monstrous sight-seeing can it?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, you're right, it's only fair I share my life story since you were so willing to share yours" T.J said.

"C'mon, spill it" Cassie replied.

Before T.J could do so, the loud roar of an engine caught his attention.

He and Cassie dashed over to the window, as did several others, and glimpsed a crimson red truck race down the road, pursued by a chain of heavily armoured troops on motorcycles. Laser fire shot out from little gun muzzles mounted on the front.

"What do you think that's about?" said Cassie.

"No idea, but it looks like trouble" said T.J.

"Should we do something about it?" asked Cassie. T.J was lost in thought, trying to make something f the confusing sight.

At the helm of the truck, one man was just as confused as to why he had come under attack, but ever more determined to ensure his pursuers did not claim him as their prize.

This was not Tommy Oliver's first rodeo.

"Aw man, I knew this day was going way too normal" said Tommy.

Despite dodging numerous hits, the Red Zeo Ranger's luck would soon run out, a blast from the bikers in bronze found its mark, piercing one of the truck's tyres, causing to skid erratically over the road until it hit a sand bank.

Desperate to escape as lethal firepower continued to rain down on him, Tommy scrambled out of the truck attempted to flee on foot, but another round of laser fire managed to hit the leaking fuel tank, causing the whole vehicle to violently erupt in flames.

The explosion was so great that it knocked Tommy out for the count before he could make some distance between him and his attackers, leaving him helpless.

Outside the tour shop, T.J and Cassie were preparing to depart when they caught sight of the explosion.

"Come on, we've got to do something" T.J said, his mind up as it pertained to intervention.

"Lady, you coming? It's time to go" the coach's driver insisted.

Cassie looked on as T.J headed towards the burning vehicle as quickly as he could, initially hesitant; Cassie's mind was soon made up also.

"You go on without me" Cassie said, and followed T.J's lead.

The two arrived at the smouldering wreck, only to find a group of Piranatrons surrounding them.

"What are those things?" said Cassie.

"They're standing between us and whoever they're after" T.J said, noticing Tommy being slowly dragged away by a few Putrapods.

The Piranatrons encircled T.J and Cassie, but both were not hesitant to act in self-defence, as they took the fight to the bronze warriors with fierce kicks and right handed uppercuts.

Cassie and T.J were both impressed with one another's fight skills.

"You're pretty good" T.J noted as he swung a high kick into the gut of one Piranatron, another grabbed him from behind and gripped him in a tight headlock, but T.J grabbed both of its plated shoulders and hoisted his opponent off of him and tackled him to the ground.

"Nah, I'm just pretty full stop, and these guys ain't coming close to messing up my hair" said Cassie as she fended off her share.

T.J grabbed her by the hand and the two quickly retreated.

"Hey, I'm not done with these clowns yet"

"The longer we let ourselves get distracted, the more distance between us and whoever those creeps are after" T.J replied

"We'd better tighten the gap then" said Cassie, breaking loose from T.J's hold and heading towards one of the Piranatron's cycles, she beckoned T.J over, and the two saddled up, with Cassie at the handles.

"You ever drove one of these before?" said T.J.

"Good question, I'll answer when I see just how good I am" said Cassie, and revved up the motorcycle.

T.J permitted himself a scream as the cycle sped like a devil down the desert road.

* * *

Back at the A.G 5000, the eager and driven drivers brought their cars up to the starting line, ready to begin the race.

The charitable cause was just, but for three of the Power Rangers, the only cause they have is one of concern for one of their own.

"Tommy still hasn't shown up" said Adam as he made a final check of the roster for the race.

"Yeah, I don't think this is down to last minute nerves, we should get in touch with through his communicator" suggested Rocky.

Before Adam could patch in to Tommy's frequency, the day was swiftly interrupted by an ominous and loud crackle of thunder.

Wave after wave of electrical energy shot down from the sky and struck the Earth below. Drivers and citizens in the crowd fled in all direction as the bolts struck hard all around them, they were fortunate not to be taken down by one of the blasts.

The Rangers shielded their eyes as the staggering and blistering lightshow brightly lit up the race track.

From the lightning, shapes began to form, and as they came into focus, the Rangers and the panicked citizens and drivers encircling them were soon met with the terrifying sight of Putrapods and Piranatrons.

Leading the charge were Rygog and Elgar.

"Angel Grove, I hear you guys love to race, well here's a challenge for you, you're going to go on a race for your very survival" snapped Elgar.

"We're here to flush the Rangers out, not to play with the other toys in the pen" said Rygog, pushing Elgar aside.

"Hey, the Rangers are pledged to protect all humans" argued Elgar, "If we take our aggression out on them, they'll soon come out of hiding"

Adam, Rocky and Tanya huddled together to discuss strategy.

"We need our powers, and now, those things look a real handful" Tanya noted.

"Rocky, see if you can open the mate gates and give everyone a chance to escape" said Adam.

"What about you two?" asked Rocky.

Adam looked around, a spark of euphoric ingenuity hit him.

"Just do your best to get the job done Rocky, we'll do our best to 'tyre' them out" Adam spoke.

Rocky nodded and swiftly made his way to the main control room, with Adam and Tanya stepping forward and making their presence felt to the alien intruders.

"Hey, I don't think you bought a ticket to get in this place" snapped Adam.

"Who needs to punch a ticket when you're all my fists require?" said Elgar.

Adam nodded to Tanya, Tanya nodded back.

As the Piranatrons and Elgar closed in, Adam and Tanya performed double back flips towards the nearby pit stop and grabbed a couple of rubber tyres. Elgar attempted to dice them with his sword, but the two used the tyres to block his attacks.

As the tyres burst, Adam and Tanya swiftly gathered up more of them and rolled them down the concrete towards Elgar.

Elgar stuck his sword through one of them and hoisted it high above his head, the tip of his sword charging it with energy. He tossed it right back at the Rangers, the wheel rapidly spinning towards them and catching fire as it did so.

Adam and Tanya scattered in separate directions as the wheel headed into a stack of oil barrels, setting off a fearsome explosion.

They both scrambled to their feet and headed out towards the race track, with Piranatrons in pursuit, Adam dashed across the bonnet of one of the parked vehicles and delivered a baseball side to the groin of one of the Piranatrons, before grabbing one by the head and sending it into the glass window of another car.

Tanya fended off a couple of Piranatrons with some fierce high kicks and chops, but felt a sharp pain course through her knuckles when her flesh hit against the Pirantron's armour plating.

The pain proved to be a costly distraction, as the Piranatrons grabbed her from behind. Adam reached out to Tanya in desperation as he too was overwhelmed, his reflexes not fast enough to match the lighting quick reflexes of his opponents as they bombarded him with blow after blow, kick after kick.

Rygog noticed that the arena housing the A.G 5000 had become increasingly empty.

"Elgar, you fool, they were distracting us while the humans filed out" snapped an angered Rygog.

"So much for our captive audience, guess we'll just have to settle for the crew and not the cast members" said Elgar.

Rocky, having completed his task, watched from a distance as Adam and Tanya were taken prisoner.

For a Power Ranger, things had never seemed so powerless.

* * *

Over in Paris, Bulk had a dilemma on his hands.

"Skull" he said, patting Skull on the shoulder, "When I assured the Chief that we'd be right on top of the case, I didn't mean this"

Skull was stacked atop a large suitcase, packed to bursting point with clothes. Bulk was doing his best to calm down several people in their bathrobes outside of a large building, a hotel that they were all staying at.

"Look, we got a hot lead that Sanford the poodle was at this hotel, so I reckon we make sure no potential suspects leave the place, and you know you can't exactly be at your best when you're not dressed"

Bulk didn't know how to deal with Skull sometimes, these sort of crazy horse concepts usually came from him, with Skull being the voice of reason, but here he could tell something else was eating away at Skull so much that any vestige of rational thought, the amount of rationality he was mentally capable of anyway, had faded from his long list of priorities.

He tried reasoning with the protesting hotel tenants, with one of them clipping him over the head with her purse, another elderly lady batted him with her umbrella, and a male took one of his loafers off and beat his right leg with it.

For Bulk, it wasn't so much Skull's strategy that was causing him pain, it was his botched efforts at reassuring the citizens in French, and something he still had a poor grasp on. Rather than assure them things were alright, he had apparently told them their arms and feet were right for swinging on vines and that they all reeked of foreign potatoes.

"I need a break" he said, dragging Skull off of the suitcase and pointing in the direction of a restaurant.

As they departed, the hotel's inhabitants seized the opportunity to try and repossess their stuff.

As Bulk entered the restaurant, Skull sat at an outside table and tapped his fingers lightly on its surface, examining the photo of Sanford, when, suddenly, he looked up and saw a poodle sitting outside looking just like it.

Skull dashed up to the poodle and examined its collar.

Sure enough, its name read 'Beloved Sanford'

And embedded in its collar was the priceless emerald they had been seeking.

Skull being Skull, unfortunately, made the mistake of accidentally unclipping the collar to get a better view of the gem, just as Sanford swiftly took off.

"Hey, hey, HEY" Skull said, pointing in Sanford's direction, screaming Bulk's name.

Bizarrely, he remained fixed to the spot, letting shock overwhelm him, as he saw Sanford run into open traffic, with several cars stopping to let him pass, which in turn caused a pile up.

Skull breathed a sigh of relief, until he saw Sanford run straight into the net of a dog catcher and put inside the back of his van.

As the van sped off, Bulk emerged from the restaurant with his order; he sat down and tucked into his meal while Skull, his finger still stretched outright, stuttered and slurred several words underneath his breath.

"Will you sit down and calm your nerves? You look like you just witnessed a car wreck" Bulk said, before catching sight of something that made him realize just how right his cynical remark was.

He looked at the emerald Skull was clutching in his hand, and picked up the photo of Sanford that his friend had let drop to the ground.

"Skull?" Bulk asked a sense of sharp menace in his voice.

"I think I want to get back on top of the case now" Skull said, and tried fleeing back to the suitcase he had left in the midst of the street, with Bulk grabbing him by the scruff of his neck to prevent him from doing so.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

* * *

Alpha observed the situation at the A.G 5000 unfold on the main viewing screens of the Power Chamber.

"Aye Aye Aye Zordon, Adam and Tanya are helpless, only Rocky's managed to evade capture" said a concerned Alpha, "We've got to teleport them out of there"

Zordon was quick to cut down that suggestion.

"Negative Alpha, while the track is almost cleared, several people are still too close to the proximity of the Rangers location to risk teleporting them out without compromising their identities"

Alpha watched as Rocky proved Zordon's point by helping some of the lost and panicked Angel Grove citizens and racing drivers file out of the stadium, the needs of the many forcing him to forsake the needs of his friends for the greater good.

"I just wish we could do something" said Alpha.

"All we can do is focus on our special project" Zordon suggested.

Alpha turned and approached the central control console, where the Zeo Morphers remained connected to the silver canister, which was now brighter in ever as tremendous power coursed through it.

"The Rangers Zeo Energies have been almost taxed out by this procedure" Alpha noted.

"I am confident the powers will be fine Alpha, no effort comes without great sacrifice, all we need is the patience to see it through"

"Patience is one thing" Alpha replied, "But another thing entirely is **time.** If we don't do something soon, it's time that will run out on the Rangers"

Soon, the Power Chamber alarms went off, signalling a fresh crisis

"Aye Aye Aye, now what?" Alpha said as the monitors switched to a different setting altogether, revealing the stricken and stunned body of Tommy being dragged into a nearby cavern by Putrapods, his hands and feet tied and bound, before being fastened to a harness attached to the walls that lined the interior of the cavern.

The harness lifted him high above a crater in the midst of the cavern that housed a hideous purple whirlpool where monstrous and ghoulish beings made of wind and pink flame danced and darted across the inky liquid.

Alpha reeled back, mortified at the image

"Aye Aye Aye, Zordon, is that what I think it is?" he asked

"The thing I feared most has happened, Zedd has finally located the void of despair, a horrendous dimension which denies even the light of goodness. If Tommy is lost to the void, he will be forever irretrievable"

"Perhaps we could contact Katherine" said Alpha.

"Tell Katherine to meet Rocky at the stadium, perhaps together they can work out a way of getting Adam and Tanya clear of their captors" advised Zordon.

"But what about Tommy?" said Alpha.

"Have faith Alpha, for this crisis will bring out the best in a new generation" Zordon cryptically commented.

Alpha was unsure of what he meant, until he caught sight of something else on the viewing globe, the sight of two strangers riding a Piranatron cycle ferociously down the desert road, following the trail of Putrapod slime that led to the cavern, and Tommy's location.

"Who are those two?" said Alpha.

"That is the future you are seeing Alpha" said Zordon.

* * *

T.J and Cassie's foreboding ride came to a halt as the trail of slime led them off of the main road and towards a nearby cavern.

As they disembarked from their motorcycle, T.J bent down and scooped up a portion or so of the slime and held it his nose, and reeled back at the pungent aroma.

Cassie urged him not to get his hands too dirty, unsure of where this kind of mucus originated from.

"Wherever it is these creatures came from, they've probably never heard of soap" remarked T.J.

As the two approached the entrance to the cave, they could hear faint echoes within, sounds of haunting despair that chilled them to the bone.

"You sure you want to go in there?" asked Cassie.

"We're either haunted by this, or haunted by our conscience if we don't help their hostage out, we're going in" replied T.J.

Hand in hand, they stepped inside and made their way to the centre of the large and ominous cavern, where they were quick to catch a glimpse of Tommy, hoisted high above the intimidating and otherworldly whirlpool that led into the void of despair.

The two brave teenagers stuck close to the shadows and sized up their obstacles, starting with the Putrapods standing guard over Tommy, and a lone Piranatron continued to lower the bound Power Ranger into the void.

"Looks like we don't have much time to strategize" said T.J, making note of the Putrapod mucus he still clutched in his hand, "They're bound to spot us with their good eye, so it's best we put some mud in it"

He quickly darted out of the darkly lit corner he was hiding in and smacked the Piranatron clear in the face with the mucus, blinding him. As he swung his arms violently trying to hit his opponent, only being able to take shots to thin air, T.J then cut his opponent down to size with a systematic barrage of kicks and right handed uppercuts which sent the trooper spiralling towards the edge of the whirlpool.

A final kick sent the Piranatron into the void, where he was sprang upon by the apparitions within desperate to feast.

T.J turned his attention to Tommy, and hoisted the rope up, sparing him from the void's dangers, he pulled the ropes ever so slightly to the right, out of the general vicinity of the whirlpool, and gently lowered him back down.

Cassie in the meantime used a flashlight she had in her right pocket to blind-side the Putrapods who were attempting to advance on the pair, she snuck up behind them while in this state of distress and delivered some spinning kicks which sent the dizzying pair into the whirlpool also.

"Who are you?" asked Tommy.

"A couple of overgrown scouts trying to earn our badge sir" remarked T.J as he relieved Tommy of his bonds and escorted him towards the entrance of the cavern.

As they left, Tommy was quick to prioritize things.

"Look, I really appreciate what you did for me there, but I have to get going"

"We can offer you a ride back into town" said T.J

"Yeah, although one of us will have to hitch-hike back, that cycle we borrowed can only take two" said Cassie

"Thanks, but where I'm going isn't far, the walk will do me some good"

"Hey, what did those things want with you anyway?" asked a persistently curious T.J.

"Believe me, I'm as in the dark as you are, but I'm very grateful you brought me back into the light" Tommy said, patting T.J on the back before heading to the back of the cave

Cassie walked over to T.J

"He seems pretty unphased by what just happened" Cassie said, "He's chill almost"

"You don't suppose it's his way of coping with the shock? I've read that can happen to some people" said T.J.

"Come on, we better check on him some more" Cassie said, and led T.J over to the back of the cavern, where, to their surprise, they found no one there.

"Where could he have gone?" said Cassie.

"With all of this weirdness, Angel Grove sure doesn't sound as heavenly as they make it does it?" asked T.J.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

Justin looked at the clock with a sharp pair of eyes as the minute hand etched closer and closer to the number twelve as the hour hand settled on three.

Only five minutes remained until school came to a close for the week.

He looked over at the door and the female occupant out in the hall waving to him outside of it.

He waved back, the female pointed at something, and her lips silently formed the words "concentrate", since he couldn't hear her on the opposite end of the door.

Justin tried to fire back with a silent "I've finished already".

The sole other occupant of the classroom, a spectacled middle-aged man immersed in his own work, took time to raise his head upwards to glance at Justin.

"Is there anything the matter lad?" he asked.

"No, not at all, sorry Mr. Burly" said Justin.

He starred at the clock again, two minutes remained until the bell rang and the session ended.

He stared at the completed exam paper, wondering if there was anything he'd like to change about it, second-guessing himself at a crucial hour mainly to keep himself occupied in these final few minutes.

He knew how gifted he was at these sort of general knowledge questions, that had never been his problem at school, his problem was always desiring more, and to challenge even the limits of his teachers in other classes, he felt their curriculum was ever so slightly beneath him.

His thirst for knowledge and output prompted him to demand more of a challenge from those that sought to inform his fellow classmates, so that they, not just he, would benefit from the experience.

The teachers were quite dismissive of this attitude; they thought him an upstart, a rebellious element out to shatter the consistency of their routine.

Justin realized how afraid they were of stepping their game up, afraid of leaving what they already knew far behind.

But he couldn't himself. He felt it was his duty to bring out the best in everyone around him, and that he would rise up and demand the best for his class.

This is what had got him in trouble time and again, and this session in detention was no different.

The clock struck three, the bell sounded.

It was time to go home.

Justin got up and handed his exam to Mr. Burly, he placed it to his right and continued to work on his review of the week that was.

"I trust you will be better prepared to accept tests like these in future Justin" said Burly, "Your little overreaction in the exam hall this morning very nearly caused a full student body walk out"

"I'll be just fine Mr. Burley, I've already promised my guidance tutor I won't spring any more surprises like that, and she's taking me and my buddy Nico out to the park this afternoon"

"Then you'd best run along while I mark this paper" said Burley.

"Thanks, she's waiting outside" said Justin, and he swiftly exited the classroom to meet his tutor.

However, much to his dismay, he found she was now nowhere to be found.

* * *

A stream of pink energy shot across the skies of Angel Grove and came to a halt within the halls of the Power Chamber's secret location, as the Pink Power Ranger Katherine completed her journey. Greeting her were Zordon, Alpha 5, and Tommy.

"Hope we didn't catch you at a bad time Kat" Tommy said.

"Thanks to this emergency, I've had to make no time for Justin" acknowledged a disheartened Katherine.

"Time is something we really could do with more of" remarked Alpha.

"We had attempted to contact you earlier Katherine, so as to give Rocky more of an advantage in his own quest to free Adam and Tanya, but we began to experience some long-range interference, a high frequency wave has blocked off the Rangers ability to communicate with us direct from the stadium" said Zordon.

"Zedd's handiwork no doubt" Alpha replied.

"So how's Rocky doing? Did he make it out or is he still trapped in there trying to get the rest of them free?" asked Tommy.

"Rocky is fine, observe" Zordon replied.

Tommy and Katherine observed the activity on the monitors as Rocky made use of the stadium bleachers to evade detection from the swarms of Piranatrons surrounding the area.

"As much as I'd love to make time for Justin, there isn't any real time to waste is there? Just what are we up against Zordon?" asked Katherine.

"Lord Zedd and Rita have acquired a sizeable fortune due to an interstellar lottery; this has enabled them to reach out to the most dangerous hands for hire in the entire galaxy. Rygog and Elgar are two formidable adversaries, commanding a large platoon of monsters and foot soldiers that your present powers may not be enough to overcome"

"Aw man, monster millionaires that's going to leave us all looking a little poorer if we don't do something" said Tommy.

A series of fierce power surges suddenly lit up the chamber, startling Tommy and Katherine, and the Zeo morphers assembled on the main console turned dark and gradually disintegrated as the storage container glowed brighter than ever.

Alpha was jubilant.

"Aye-Aye-Aye, Zordon, the project has reached its final stages" said Alpha.

"Does this project have something to do with why you asked us to hand over our morphers Zordon?" asked Katherine

"Correct Katherine. When Lord Zedd destroyed the Machine leaders, we realized that he and Rita would only grow in strength inevitably, so we took it upon ourselves to accelerate the energies of the Zeo crystal" Zordon explained

"Accelerate their energies?" Tommy asked

"Yes, think of it as a turbo charge" Alpha continued "These are the same powers, but with much quicker reflexes and speed in mobility, you will be basically impossible to catch or be slowed down. You can reach your destinations more instantaneously on foot also, without the need to teleport everywhere"

Alpha walked over to the back of the chamber and took out a large box from a glass cabinet container, while Tommy and Katherine watched as the mysterious container on the console opened by itself and revealed to them five ignition keys and wrist morphers.

"These are your new Turbo morphers, simply insert the keys into the ignition sockets and you will unlock your now accelerated powers" Zordon revealed.

Tommy and Katherine reached into the container and marvelled at the designs, just as they always do whenever they were presented with great abilities.

Alpha approached them with the red box, a silver lightning bolt embedded on the front.

"Place the morphers and keys in this Power Box and take it with you to the A.G 5000" Alpha instructed.

Tommy and Katherine nodded.

"It is advised you use your new powers immediately" said Zordon.

"Turbo charged powers huh? Guess we're shifting from one gear and into another" replied Katherine.

"Yeah, let's rip some velocity, and shift into turbo" said Tommy, strapping his morpher on to his left wrist and inserting the ignition key into it with his right hand, Katherine following suite.

A blue stream of light immersed them, their civilian clothing quickly being coated over with the bright matching colours of new Red and Pink uniforms, each resembling something akin to a drag racers outfit, with helmets emerging from thin air behind their heads and clicking soundly into place.

Their helmets also sported a pair of head lamps which lit up when the helmets formed over their heads.

The light faded and where Tommy and Katherine once stood, the new look Turbo charged Power Rangers stepped forward.

"I've never felt anything like this" said Tommy.

"Those mercenaries are in for a real mashing" said Katherine.

"Come on, let's see just how fast we can go" said Tommy, "Alpha, open the chamber doors, we're gonna try out these powers on foot rather than teleport"

Alpha responded and gave the command to open the doors, with Tommy and Katherine filing out with impeccable speed.

"We have done well Alpha, our team has stepped boldly forward into the era of the Power Rangers Turbo" Zordon said with pride.

"Let's just hope it's not a case of one bold step forward, and two steps forced back" replied Alpha.

Alarms sounded once again within the chamber, Alpha observed the monitors.

"Aye-Aye-Aye, the citizens attempts to flee the stadium have been in vain, there were too many Piranatrons in the surrounding area, they've all been gathered up again and are being held hostage alongside the other Rangers, with Zedd blocking our communications, Tommy and Kat are gonna have to think on their feet if they're going to hand the Rangers their powers without compromising any identities"


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

Rocky's years of experience had taught him how to act with precision stealth.

He had managed to evade detection for well over an hour by hiding in the stadium bleachers.

And while he still felt powerless, he knew he would have to act soon.

And swiftly.

Adam and Tanya were counting on him.

From his hiding place, he could barely make out his two friends amongst the teeming crowds that were now being herded into the middle of the stadium, their attempts to flee earlier having ended in failure.

There were just too many.

And yet a part of him figured overwhelming odds were what Rangers excelled at in matching.

Rocky believed this challenge was no larger than tackling a mountain lion or grizzly bear on a camping trip.

It was in allowing his mind to drift to such an activity that led him to realize something

Humanity had faced down an incredible amount of

He reached into his pockets and pulled out a small white package. He permitted himself a mischievous grin at the sight of it.

" _Welcome to your life"_ Rocky thought.

Elsewhere, Tommy and Katherine were heading to the stadium, and at rapid speed were approaching a living wall of Piranatrons that were guarding the front entrance.

" _There's no turning back"_ Tommy thought to himself.

Some members of the crowd had children, many of which now found themselves exhausted by the ordeal and desired the space to rest, some dozing off in their parent's arms.

However, as they drifted into slumber land, they found themselves being set upon by nightmarish apparitions as Lord Zedd's malevolent magic intruded on their minds.

"Even while we sleep, we will find you" Zedd's disembodied voice informed them, his physical body in a meditative state back at the lunar palace.

"Acting on your best behaviour?" asked Rita of her brother as he waited outside the bathroom, urging to use the facilities.

"Turn your back on mother nature" Goldar snapped, urging Rito to accompany him to Earth to provide back-up for Elgar and Rygog, and to then take advantage of the panic on the planet so they could assert easy control.

"Everybody wants to rule the world" Rita remarked.

* * *

Over in Paris, Bulk and Skull stood outside the local pound, having disguised themselves as dog catchers, attired in blue overalls and baseball caps.

"Ready?" Bulk said, checking his watch.

"Yeah" Skull said.

"Are you sure they'll fall for this?" Bulk said.

"I got it covered" Skull assured him.

The two walked up to the front gate, where they were stopped by security.

"Hold up, nobody past this stop without I.D or a successful sanction" he said.

"We're new to this, but we got ourselves something that ought to earn us a pass, a real prize catch" said Bulk.

Skull handed the security guard a net, which contained a stuffed poodle.

"Are you two trying to be funny?" asked the rather unamused guard.

Bulk kept up a cheerful front for the guard even as he grabbed Skull by the right ear and dragged him away for a word in private.

"I thought you said you nabbed a prize catch" he asked.

"And it was" Skull explained, "I'm a pretty good aim at these fair ground games"

"Tell me what you're really doing here before I call the cops" said the guard.

"Please, please, hear us out, there's a dog in your care that we need to get back or we'll be lucky if they deport us back home rather than anywhere else" Bulk pleaded.

The security guard took particular notice of the purple jewel chained to Bulk's neck.

"Well, I could let you take it back...for a price" he said.

* * *

Back at the race track, Tommy and Katherine arrived at the scene

"Let the prisoners go and we'll spare you some overdue humiliation" boasted the confident team leader.

"Ah, it looks like your strategy was a bust" Rygog said to Elgar, "Therefore I will take my share of Zedd and Rita's wealth and you'll be left with nothing"

"That depends on how quick you can catch us" said Katherine.

"Take them out" Rygog commanded, his Piranatrons and Putrapods rushing towards the two Rangers, only for their opponents to dart and dash all around them, nailing crucial hits with hard edged karate chops and swift kicks that felt like cinder blocks on fragile glass.

A string of small grenades suddenly rolled along the ground towards the teeming crowds and ignited, a pillar of thick black smoke soon swiftly shrouded everyone in darkness.

Rocky seized his chance and headed towards the bound Adam and Tanya.

"Forgot I was taking some kids out to the mountains later today, figured the smoke bombs I'd collected would come in handy" said Rocky as he untied his friends.

Tommy caught sight of the teens and dashed up to them, providing his teammates with their Turbo morphers

"Time to shift gears guys, here's a little gift from Zordon that's gonna mean a lot of trouble for these guys" said Tommy

Following Tommy's instructions, the group soon tapped into their new powers and joined in the fast and furious battle for the stadium.

Goldar and Rito arrived on the scene, only to be quickly ensnared in a turbo-charged tornado that encircled them.

As they tried to even catch a glimpse of their opponents, their attempts resulted in them looking left and right in rapid fashion, ultimately causing them unsettling dizziness.

They soon crumpled to the floor.

"Alright" said Adam.

"I think we ought to make like a banana" said Elgar as he watched the Piranatrons and Putrapods become hopelessly outmatched by the fast and furious Rangers.

"Makes sense, that Earth-bound fruit and you have something in common, you're yellow" remarked Rygog.

The evil space aliens quickly retreated, taking their dissembled forces with them.

The stadium that housed the A.G 5000 swiftly erupted in euphoria and applause as victory was assured.

* * *

Back on the moon Zedd began to throw one of his traditional tantrums, realizing the Rangers were now more powerful than ever.

"The Rangers are at full strength, and even worse, they're even more full of themselves" he bellowed, "I thought our wealth would allow me to enjoy the next few days, but it seems I have spent neither my time nor money wisely"

"Calm down Zeddy, what we need now is strategy, why don't you take another nap and we'll wake up bright and early with a new plan" Rita assured him

"BRIGHT? BRIGHT? We are the emperor and empress of darkness, the day I let the sunshine in is the day I permit those tedious teenagers a relaxing summer vacation"

"Gee sis, when you decided to play the game of life with old Edd here, that's one gamble we're still not sure pay off. Play a bit more responsibly next time yeah?" said Rito, nudging his sister in the shoulder and receiving a knock on the head with her sceptre for his trouble.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

Back at the Power Chamber, the Rangers celebrated their victory, each of the five giving the other high fives.

"I am pleased with your efforts this day Rangers" expressed a proud Zordon, "However I must caution you, your battles from this point forward will require you to be on sharper alert. As your new powers have tipped the scales in battle, your adversaries, aware of your new advantage, will find a means of advancing their own might"

"Understood Zordon, but regardless of what sort of speed we take to, the Power Rangers will cross the finish line" assured Tommy.

* * *

Bulk and Skull returned to their offices. Deflated and defeated,

They had recovered the poodle, but at the cost of the jewel.

"Some use we are" Bulk said as he slumped forward in his chair and put both feet up on the table.

"Yeah, once Gustone hears about this, we'll have to crawl back to Stone over in the States, and he'll want to give us a proper stoning" Skull replied, scratching the poodle beneath its chin and feeding it a couple of jelly babies from the dish opposite him on the desk.

Gustone and Ms. Tasman swiftly entered. Bulk scrambled to mask his unkempt posture.

"My sweet Sanford, you found him" she said, ecstatic as she took the poodle into her caring arms and out of Skull's hands. Skull felt a little flutter in his heart as this occurred, having grown quite attached in the twenty or so minutes spent with it.

"Yeah, but we had to part ways with that priceless jewel" Bulk replied, "There's a good chance that security guard's made swift travel arrangements and parted with it"

"Oh that thing is but one in a million where I'm from" Tasman revealed, and produced a fresh jewel from her purse, attaching it to a new collar and fastening it to her dog.

Bulk and Skull watched on in bewilderment, their jaws collectively dropping.

"There's nothing more priceless than a pet" Tasman revealed, patting Bulk and Skull below the chin and gently lifting up their jaws and fastening them back in place.

* * *

Meanwhile, TJ and Cassie, still stranded on the desert road, were trying to hitchhike their way into town, without much success.

"Man, this never worked for Bill Bixby either" TJ said in frustration as another car passed them by.

"Relax, we'll receive the kindness of strangers soon" Cassie replied.

"Too bad that bike we had struck a nail" T.J said, "Coming to Angel Grove seems to have given us a rotten amount of luck as a reward so far"

"Hey, we saved someone's life, satisfaction with that is reward enough" Cassie replied.

"Yeah, I guess there's that, at least you seem to be looking forward" T.J said

"That's what life is at the best of times, looking to the future, and who we reach along the way" said Cassie.

The two looked up at the sky, allowing their thoughts of the future to fuel their imaginations.

* * *

With the crisis averted, life resumed and the A.G 5000 was allowed to resume and the race was proving to be an instant classic.

Everyone gathered to watch as Tommy cut through three other cars ahead of the finish line. After a back-and-forth series of one upmanship from Tommy and the leading car, the Ranger's leader was able to jet past his rival.

Suddenly, Tommy hit the brakes, as Justin and his friend Nico chased one another on to the track. Having let the excitement get the better of them.

Rocky also caught sight of what the pair was doing and immediately darted across the track to catch them just as the cars arrived.

Tommy narrowly avoided hitting them but the distraction proved too much, and it allowed his rival from Stone Canyon to take the lead yet again and finish the race. Several other cars darted past Tommy as he rushed over to the two kids. The other Rangers joined him

"Hey, you guys alright?" Tommy asked.

"Justin, Nico, what did I tell you about staying where we could keep an eye on you? Don't drift so far away from us" Katherine lectured.

"Gee Tommy, you could have won the race if it weren't for me" Justin said

"Guess you can't win them all"

Justin complimented Rocky on his speed.

"Pretty fast catch there" he said.

"What can I say buddy? Rocky replied, "I'm getting used to life in the fast lane"

Everyone gathered for a hearty laugh as they cheered the remainder of the cars on as they completed the race, the jubilant cries of the public in attendance celebrating yet another day where good had managed to overcome all sorts of insidious evil, and to congratulate those who revel in the need for speed.


End file.
